Refresh key pages with real updates on a schedule; never just bump the date
| Impact | Evidence | Applies to | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | Proven in studies | Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini | Oct 30, 2026 |
Why it matters
An Ahrefs analysis of about 17 million AI citations found cited URLs were roughly 26% fresher than organic results, with ChatGPT and Perplexity showing the strongest preference and AI Overviews the weakest. Google explicitly lists changing dates without substantial changes as a warning sign. Freshness helps only when the content actually changed.
How to do it
- Pick the pages that answer your highest-value prompts and review them quarterly
- Update figures, screenshots, prices and examples, then change the visible date and dateModified
- Keep the URL stable so accumulated links and citations carry over
Sources
- AI Assistants Prefer to Cite "Fresher" Content (17 Million Citations Analyzed) · Ahrefs
- Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content · Google Search Central, Oct 5, 2026
Change history
| Date | Change | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2026 | Added | Added to the rulebook. |
Checked against its sources every Monday. Only content changes are listed.